1997 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Reviews - Page 3 of 5

1997 Mercedes-Benz E-Class E420 4.2 V8 from Denmark

Summary:

Faults:

Generally the car was reliable in a certain way, because the engine always started, and the brakes worked.

Rusty.

Electronic seat's memory never worked.

Electronic seats would not move some times.

Transmission broken - $7000.

Touch n' go broken several times.

Leather on the backseat split.

Air-conditioning was very slow.

Radio never worked, bought some Chinese crap for $180 that worked much better.

General Comments:

Mercedes-Benz made the car good for first impressions only. When I first drove it, the car was the most comfortable car I ever had driven. The impressions of the V8 were very good, when driving on the road it was quiet, and when pushing the throttle, you certainly got what you required.

After 1000 km.

When hitting the throttle for an acceleration from 80 to 160 km/t, it surprised me that the gearbox took 2 seconds before it shifted down, and that was a pain, when you wanted to overtake a truck.

It started early to get rusty; I found some in the trunk, and then it got worse. When I sold the car there was rust everywhere, and it was only a matter of months before it thoroughly corroded, and then you could take it to the dealer and complain.

1997 Mercedes-Benz E-Class from Jordan

Summary:

Very good

Faults:

The automatic gear stuck in first gear three times in the 3 years we owned the car. It is really annoying, especially if you have to drive a long distance to get to the workshop, but to fix it you have to restart the car's computer, and last time I changed the transmission oil, there were some pieces of the metal in there, the mechanic said I would have to change the gear soon, which cost around 1400 US for a used one.

The parts are really expensive.

The audio system is only OK, and the radio receiver is kind of weak.

The response of the car is slow, especially when you use the kick down (around 2-3 seconds).

Till now I do not know how to let the air enter the car through the fan without turning the AC on.

General Comments:

It is a great car, really reliable, that does not break down much.

If you know how to drive it, it is kind of economical. The best time it gave me around 300km/20l (35 mpg), worst is 180km/20l (21 mpg), average is 220km/20l (26 mpg).

14th Mar 2009, 23:56

I feel your pain. I once had an older E-class and it was a nightmare as well. My transmission only lasted around 100k miles also. People refuse to believe it's faulty engineering because IT'S A MERCEDES! Poo on Mercedes. Owners' words speak volumes about these cars.

If you're talking about a cheap Chevy that nickles and dimes you to death, that's one thing. But when you're talking about an expensive Mercedes that sucks your wallet dry when it needs ANYTHING, that's a whole other story.

1997 Mercedes-Benz E-Class E320 from North America

Summary:

Faults:

Things that had to be fixed/replaced during my nightmare ownership (in no particular order):

1) Alternator (twice)

2) Had to rewire car because it didn't meet Canadian regulations (warranty, but this is pretty ridiculous for such a car)

3) Rust on door

4) Transmission rebuilt at 50000kms ($4000)

5) Replaced dash display

6) Steering fluid reservoir BLEW UP while driving

7) Moon roof broke ($3000)

8) AC condenser broke at 80000km ($3000)

9) Right headlight due to water and mold damage

10) Both taillights due to water and mold damage

11) Rust on door

12) Multiple sensors

I kept this car in a clean, dry, indoor garage. There are many other problems, in all it cost me over $30000 on maintenance and repairs for this car over ~8 years. Service is really bad too, I would not recommend this car manufacturer to anyone I like.

16th Oct 2006, 14:24

Well this is very rare. Mercedes standards are ahead of all country vehicle standards so sounds like your Mechanic was spinning you a yarn there. The faults you describe sound like the car was not only poorly serviced, but even damaged in service. Not all garages can service a Mercedes properly, even dealerships. Probably the most crucial part of owning a European prestige car in the States or Canada, is to get a decent mechanic located BEFORE you buy. Euro spec cars are way ahead of US & Canada spec vehicles, with the Mercedes CDI models not imported for three years because the fuel quality in the US and Canada was not up to Euro spec. Quite often, these vehicles suffer at the hands of mechanics used to dealing with more basic engineering. Very unlucky?